The King James Bible: Great Books Explained

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcqIVnUar7Q

The film about the King James Bible I co-authored with James Payne, a curator, gallerist, and passionate art lover, has now garnered over 50,000 views. 

It covers the content and structure of the Bible as well as telling both the story of the King James Version's creation and some of its cultural influence.

Check it out and add your thoughts to comments that now include:

• "what great insights! Thank you"
• "I look at the Bible quite differently now that I’ve watched this. Thank you so much for this new lens of insight."
• "Astonishing how rich the history of the Bible really is even in the "later" days - I had no idea so many people had worked on it. And the process used for the KJV - my goodness, it seems so complicated and yet so very clever."
• "It's sad when people either haven't realized or outright deny how important the KJV bible has been in the history of the English-speaking world, even if someone isn't religious, it's very much worth learning about the impact this book had on culture. Thank you for making this video!"
• "This "beautiful" video is one of the best of youtube. Thank you!"
• "Wow, when I saw the topic, I thought, How ballsy, such a controversial topic! But it was masterfully done, a good analysis of the book as a book."

For more of my writings on the Bible see here:

• Exodus & Exile - an online exhibition exploring themes of identity and migration in the Bible;
• Visual Commentary on Scripture - three exhibitions for the VCS on Daniel 4, Matthew 4:12–22 & Mark 1:14–20, and Hebrews 11; and
• Visual Meditations - visual meditations written for ArtWay.

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Malcolm & Alwyn - Fool's Wisdom.

Faith and Modern Thought: The Modern Philosophers for Understanding Modern Theology

Faith and Modern Thought by Tim Hull is a jargon-busting and engaging introduction providing an imaginative and creative way into the great minds that have forged the modern world, especially Kant and Hegel and the revolutionary philosophies of existentialism and Marxism they inspired. 

Tim Hull provides the wider intellectual picture, the fuller philosophical story in which modern theology was forged. After an engaging introduction to the European Enlightenment and the cultural crisis it triggered, the stage is set to understand the essence of modern theology. 

From that essential background the radical faith of many of the most influential of modern theologians and philosophers of religion is explored, exposing a deep-rooted indebtedness to the Enlightenment tradition. 

Revd Dr Tim Hull has taught theology for many years primarily at St John’s College Nottingham and currently at the Queen’s Foundation Birmingham. He is also Director and Editor of the internationally popular timeline video project.

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Tim Hull & Mark Lee - Natural Tones.

Inclusive Church 2019 Lecture

The Annual Inclusive Church lecture was inaugurated in 2013, marking the 10th anniversary of the founding of Inclusive Church. Taking place each year in conjunction with the AGM it invites a leading theologian or activist to reflect and challenge us about inclusion.

The 2019 Inclusive Church Lecture took place on Tuesday 9th July 2019 at Southwark Cathedral. The lecturer was Sam Wells, Vicar of St Martin-in-the-Fields and the talk was entitled 'Citizens of Heaven: Identity, Inclusion and the Church':

'I have a simple agenda tonight. I want to change the question we’re all asking. I say ‘we’ and ‘all’ because my sense is that those who advocate the inclusive church agenda and those who most vehemently oppose it are currently asking the same question, and the reason they’re are at odds is because they’re giving different answers. My counsel to those who are glad to bear the epithet ‘inclusive’ is not to shout their answer louder or longer than the opposition, or give examples of the pain and suffering the opposing answer has caused, or suggest that the arc of history bends towards their position, and thereby win the argument; it’s instead to ask a different question. A similar question – but a subtly different question. I believe if we get the question right, the answer and the argument will largely look after themselves.'

You can watch a video of Sam's talk here and a transcript of the talk is available here.

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Antonio Vivaldi - La Follia.

Bill Viola: Three Women & The Journey to St Paul's

HeartEdge member St Cuthbert’s Church in Edinburgh (Kirk of the Castle Rock and Princes St Gardens) is currently home to an outstanding video art installation by the internationally respected American artist Bill Viola. The piece is ‘Three Women (2008)', which has most recently been on display in the Grand Palais, Paris and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, and is now installed in Edinburgh until 1st September.

'Three Women (2008)' is part of the Transfigurations series by Viola, and his wife and close collaborator, Kira Perov. Transfiguration is generally defined as “an exalting, glorifying, or spiritual change.” In this work, the mother and her daughters enact a transfiguration when they choose to pass through the threshold of water and briefly enter an illuminated realm. By exploring such universal human experiences as spirituality, birth, and death, Viola’s videos communicate to a wide audience, allowing viewers to engage with the work in their own personal ways.

St Cuthbert's also held the Scottish premiere of the new feature length documentary Bill Viola: The Road to St Paul's at an event last Sunday where Simon Groom, the Director of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, chaired a discussion with the director and producer, Gerald Fox.

Bill Viola: The Road to St Paul's is a powerful, moving portrait of the world's most influential video artist and his wife and close collaborator, Kira Perov. It is an up-close documentation of their 12-year odyssey to create two permanent video installations for St. Paul's Cathedral. Martyrs (2014) and its companion piece, Mary (2016), symbolise some of the profound mysteries of human existence. One is concerned with comfort and creation, the other with suffering and sacrifice. This film follows Viola's remarkable story of producing, filming and realising the first art commission of its kind to ever be installed in one Britain's most famous religious spaces.

The BAFTA and Grierson Award winning British director and producer Gerald Fox takes the audience on a fascinating journey through the spiritual oeuvre of this innovative, ground breaking artist. The film ranges across the deserted landscapes and deserts of California as Viola builds his epic works for St Paul's, to the streets of Paris and London as Fox looks back at the art and career of this seminal artist, who, since the early 1970s, has taken video art to a new level of acceptance in contemporary art. 

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Van Morrison - Contemplation Rose.

Dry Room, Inside Job and King Lear

Dry Room is a cross-disciplinary piece about childhood trauma, friendship, and redemption. Following its successful premiere at the World Stage Design Quadrennial 2017, the show will be given its UK premiere at the Brighton Fringe before moving on to the Old Fire Station Oxford. 

This weekend (6 - 8 April), however, the associate film Dry Room is being displayed at Tate Modern in Inside Job, which presents works by 135 employees from Tate Britain, Tate Modern, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives, including painting, photography and sculptures. Tonight I was at the PV with Director & Co-Designer, Zi Ling, and Story writer & Producer, Eldarin Yeong.

Ling had a double reason for celebrating tonight as her watercolour King Lear won The Frank Herring Easel Award in her first exhibition as a Candidate Member of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours. It is her fourth exhibition with the Institute since 2015 and she has four new paintings in the exhibition at Mall Galleries.

In addition to Dry Room, the following are also well worth looking out for at Inside Job: Ed Hadfield's ‘Affirmative 1’; Izna Bandey's ‘There Are No Words’; and Kyriaki Mitsou's 'TETRALOGY: PRAY LOVE TRY HOPE'.  

Inspired by Surrealism art and the Story Stem technique - used by psychologists to study children's inner world, the story of Dry Room follows three adopted children who are the survivors of childhood trauma. Natalie, a victim of child neglect and sexual abuse; Christopher lost his parents in an accident; Jack suffered domestic violence from his alcoholic parents. To escape from their haunting experiences, they embark on a journey of self-discovery and encounter many demons of the past.

Set in a Magritte-styled room, this performance installation gives an intriguing cinematic perspective to a narrative dance, by combining live music and conceptual art. Dry Room is directed and co-designed by Ling and the emerging designer Tong Zhao (Royal Shakespeare Company, Harper's Bazaar 150th Anniversary exhibition, Paris Fashion Week). Live music is played by the talented Spanish experimental cellist Carolina Bartumeu (Royal Albert Hall, Wigmore Hall, Berlin Philharmoniker). Dry Room features Italian minimalist composer Giovanni Sollima's heartbreaking cello solo, Alone, and improvised music by Carolina Bartumeu.

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Giovanni Sollima - Alone.

Martin Luther King Jr.: Epistles & Prophets

Peter Challen writes that in observance of the lasting impact of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s ministry, Trinity Church Wall Street in New York City is offering a new video curriculum free of charge.

Martin Luther King Jr.: Epistles & Prophets brings together an interview with Civil Rights icon and theologian Ruby Sales and expert speakers exploring contemporary black/white relationships through writings by James Baldwin, Thomas Merton, and King that resonate powerfully today.

Use the segments in faith-formation educational settings large or small, or on your own. Each video comes with a set of questions to help facilitate further reflection.

The material can be viewed online or downloaded at www.trinitywallstreet.org/mlk.

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Marvin Gaye - Abraham, Martin And John.

Zi Ling & Eldarin Yeong

This year, Zi Ling has been accepted as a Candidate Member of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours. The Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours 206th Exhibition at Mall Galleries will show a diversity of styles and techniques, from traditional uses of the medium to more experimental and innovative paintings. Works on display are produced by members of the RI and other artists whose pictures have been selected to hang alongside these by the RI Council, including many young painters using water-soluble media in often new and exciting ways. This is Ling's fourth exhibition with the Institute since 2015. She will have four new paintings included in the exhibition. 

This weekend, in a remarkable first, staff from all four British Tate galleries are to display their own artistic creations at Tate Modern in London. The exhibition, entitled Inside Job, will present works by 135 employees from Tate Britain, Tate Modern, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives, including painting, photography and sculptures. Staff whose work will be displayed include curators, art handlers, guards, shop assistants, visitor assistants and people from the finance, restaurant and marketing departments. The exhibition has been partly financed by the Tate Social Fund.

Jing Eldarin Yeong joined the Tate in May 2017 and is showing Dry Room, an associate dance video of a cross-disciplinary piece that she wrote and produced last year for the World Stage Design Quadrennial. It is a collaboration between her Studio and the videographer Jevan Chowdhury. She says: 'To make it an independent piece from the theatre production, we used London cityscape as the backdrop and tried to capture the sense of isolation, self-estrangement and social meaninglessness. It is also about breaking the boundary of theatre, responding to the environment, and exploring non-conventional space.'

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Lizz Wright - Speak Your Heart.

Exploring the theology of HeartEdge

HeartEdge held an event at St Martin-in-the-Fields this week where a selection of HeartEdge branded books were launched. Andy Goodliff interviewed Sam Wells on themes addressed within ‘For Good: The Church and the Future of Welfare’, 'Incarnational Mission', ‘Who Is My Neighbour? The Global and Personal Challenge’ and ‘Liturgy on the Edge: Pastoral and Attractional Worship’. 

In recent months, a series of books have been published by Sam, often in collaboration, with others which set out key aspects of the theology that informs the design and practice of HeartEdge. As a result, several of these books carry the HeartEdge logo. These are books which speak into key issues and situations of our time in ways that have been described as timely, valuable and courageous. They are commended to us as richly challenging, deeply engaging and as being outstanding guides. Exploring their themes tonight therefore promises to be enriching on many levels.

Guiding us in our exploration of themes from the books was Andy Goodliff, the Minister at Belle Vue Baptist Church in Southend-on-Sea. Belle Vue were among the first churches to join HeartEdge and Andy subsequently explained the reasoning behind that decision in an article published by Baptist Times. In the article, Andy said that ‘HeartEdge feels different, in that it is practical theology, where the theology is not just a veneer, but running right through it.’ His interview with Sam enabled discussion of the theology that underpins the support and networking which HeartEdge offers, as well as providing the opportunity to listen to Sam talk about the theology of “Being With.”

A video of this interview can be viewed by clicking here.

“Who is my Neighbour?” The Global and Personal Challenge will have a further launch at St Martin's on 21 May at 7.00pm when Sam will chair an exciting panel discussion with Rabbi Shulamit Ambalu, Dr Megan Warner, Revd Richard Carter and Sam Ahmad Ziaee (who will tell the story of his journey aged 16 from Afghanistan to the UK). “This richly challenging and deeply engaging book merits careful consideration at a time when fear of the “other” threatens to overwhelm us. In simple terms its theme is migration but actually it’s about being human.” The Rt Revd Adrian Newman Bishop of Stepney. “This brilliant book addresses one of the most urgent questions of our time: how to welcome the strangers who come seeking a home with us.” Timothy Radcliffe. The event is free and open to all. Copies of the book will be on sale at £10. The Eventbrite link is https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/who-is-my-neighbour-the-global-and-personal-challenge-tickets-44409049663.

HeartEdge is a growing ecumenical network of churches and other organisations which are contributing to God's mission in the world by ministry with diverse, inclusive congregations that combines compassionate activities, commercial activities and cultural programming. HeartEdge members see all of these as missional and aim to integrate all four for maximum impact.

HeartEdge has been initiated by St Martin-in-the-Fields and the 4C's form the mission model that has been used here for the past 30 years. It is a model that is used by or which makes sense of the mission and ministry of churches throughout the UK and beyond. For that reason, churches Aberdeen to Amsterdam, Bristol to Birmingham, and all points in between including Dunfermline, Edinburgh, Hull, London, Norwich, Rochdale, Shoeburyness, Swaffham and Utrecht, among others, have already joined the network.

In addition to the Book Launch, HeartEdge has recently organised a well attended day on Churches & Commerce at St Martin in the Bull Ring and last week ran a consultancy day for HeartEdge member All Saints Hertford exploring options for developing their existing ministry. For Consultancy Days we gather a small hand-picked team of people from member churches to visit a specific church for a day, spending the morning seeing and hearing about their ministry, buildings and context, before using the afternoon to share stories of relevant experience and thoughtshower ideas and approaches which may be of use within that context. The church was grateful for the time and input of the HeartEdge group, all of whom added real value.There seemed to be several points during the afternoon at which ‘lights were coming on’ for particular people or for the church group as a whole, together with a range of ideas and responses that also emerged from the day. Further consultancy days are being planned for churches in Bristol, Redruth and Southwark.

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Carolyn Arends - Seize The Day.

Artistic responses to St Stephen Walbrook

Within our new website for St Stephen Walbrook we are collecting a series of artistic responses to this Wren masterpiece which is complemented by the modern art of Henry Moore and Patrick Heron. These can all be found in the Gallery section of the site.

Paul Raftery and Dan Lowe's time-lapse video of St Stephen Walbrook is filmed in black and white and is a meditative piece that explores the tranquil, domed space with its sculptural altar by Henry Moore. It was shot over three days using timelapse footage captured on DSLR cameras and incorporating motion control, with a bespoke soundtrack by George McLeod. The film received its premiere at Anise Gallery in an exhibition of photography and film based on themes found in the Sacred Geometries. The film encompasses the three aspects of Sacred Geometries seamlessly - mathematics, nature and spirituality.

Daniel Bourke is undertaking a digital residency with St Stephen Walbrook re-creating the building as a virtual environment. He has made an initial video as one of his initial imaginative responses to the space. His work can be viewed at http://danielbourke.com/.

Quintetta at St Stephen Walbrook Church is a drawing made by Trevor Mill while listening to the fantastic brass quintet during a magic lunchtime at St Stephen Walbrook.

In the context of our recent Crucifixions: Francis Bacon exhibition, Rupert Loydell read poetry inspired by the work of Francis Bacon and also by the annunciation. The experience inspired him to write a prose poem 'Faint Echoes' based on that event, which also included a lecture on 'The crucifixion in modern art'.

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Belle & Sebastian - I Want The World To Stop.

Subversion in the Cathedral?

My latest exhibition review for Church Times explores some of the reasons for the engagement with religious themes found in the work of Roger Hiorns, as well as paying particular attention to Untitled (a retrospective view of the pathway), 2016, his site-specific work with Birmingham Cathedral in June 2016, when the choir lay on the cathedral floor to sing evensong:

'Hiorns recognises that faith continues to have power and authority in many lives, and he seeks to explore and deconstruct aspects of this in his work. He does something similar in relation to the power of propulsion, symbolised by the jet engine. He has undertaken through his work a sustained assault on jet engines, adding to them brain matter and anti-depressants, having them prayed for by prayer groups, atomising them, mixing the engine with altar dust, and burying the aircraft that carried the engines. His aircraft pieces often become mementi mori for humanity: reminders of the ultimate end of us and our achievements, as in his final project for the Ikon Gallery, the burial of a Boeing 737 in Ladywood, Birmingham. Dust you are, and to dust you shall return.'

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Ikon Gallery - Roger Hiorns Interview.

Arriving at Station XIII: 4. Installation

Arriving at Station XIII is a short series of videos by Emma Puente exploring the development of a newly commissioned artwork for the Stations of the Cross project, running from February 10 to March 28 in 14 locations around London, from museums to cathedrals.

The videos follow the progress of the artist Michael Takeo Magruder as he conceives, develops and finally presents his installation at St. Stephen Walbrook. In this fourth video, Installation, I discuss the Stations project and Michael's work - Lamentation for the Forsaken - as it is being installed. Click here to see the latest video.

For more information about the exhibition, including podcasts and associated events, visit: coexisthouse.org.uk/stations2016.html.

Tonight at 6.00pm, the installation can be viewed in the context of 'Grief and Hope: reflecting on the refugee crisis’ an awareness raising event held at St Stephen Walbrook. Takeo will speak about the motivations behind his installation and Dionne Gravesande, Head of Church Advocacy at Christian Aid, will speak about the refugee crisis and the work which Christian Aid is doing with partners in the ACT Alliance and other agencies to support practical and political action to help those fleeing, and address the longer term issues. There will also be contributions from David Glasser (Chairman, Ben Uri Gallery - Museum of Art, Identity & Migration) and Revd Richard Carter (Associate Vicar, St Martin-in-the-Fields). All are most welcome.

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Jeff Buckley - Last Goodbye.

Arriving at Station XIII

Arriving at Station XIII is a short series of videos exploring the development of a newly commissioned artwork for the Stations of the Cross project, running from February 10 to March 28 in 14 locations around London, from museums to cathedrals. Click here to view the video.

The videos follow the progress of the artist Michael Takeo Magruder (takeo.org) as he conceives, develops and finally presents his installation at St Stephen Walbrook. In this first video, Context, Michael discusses being approached to take part in the project, themes he regularly explores within his work, and the inspiration for his contribution.

For more information about the exhibition, including podcasts and associated events, visit: http://www.coexisthouse.org.uk/stations2016.html.

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Henryk Gorecki - Symphony of sorrowful songs - Lento e largo.

Condition: I am shadow

Condition by Duke Special with drawings of Peter S Smith's daily shadow at North Sheen Station.

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Stolen Lives - Strange Cargo.

Enterprise Club

Ros Southern writes:

"I made a mistake last week about the speaker!  I am delighted to say that Nigel Camp of Devilboy Productions is our speaker this coming Tuesday at 2pm.  Come along, hear general business tips, find out easy ways to use video to promote your business, meet others who can help you develop your start up business.

We are running an exciting enterprise zone at the Redbridge Green Fair on Sunday 25th May.  Read about it here.

The Redbridge Chamber of Commerce business breakfast is on Tuesday 20th at 7.30 at Redbridge College. Sophia Hubs starts ups have been given free year's membership.  If you want to attend, let me know.  I am going plus others.  It's £10 for the breakfast.  It's a great place for networking and we are grateful to the Chamber for this.

We are launching the Seven Kings timebank at the Green Fair.  If you want to have a go at signing up now, it will help us.  This is all very new and we are finding our way so please do be patient! Let me know if you encounter any problems.  We are very excited by what the timebank can do for the community and our businesses."

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Switchfoot - When We Come Alive.

What makes a church wedding so special?

Our curate at St John's Seven Kings, Geoff Eze, features in an online video promoting church weddings has been launched on the Church of England website, to meet an increase in demand for information on church weddings. In the video Geoff asks and answers the question: "What makes a church wedding so special? The music, the hymns, the vicar, the venue, the powerful vows, and the love of two people coming together."

Featuring vicars enthusiastic about weddings, couples who have rated their church weddings extremely highly, and the Bishop of Hertford, the professionally produced five-minute video explains how the church has a warm wedding welcome for all. It can be viewed on the weddings website http://www.yourchurchwedding.org/ and on the national Church of England website http://www.churchofengland.org/.


So far this year http://www.yourchurchwedding.org/ has a monthly visitor average of around 50,000, compared to 33,000 visitors per month in 2010 (a 52 per cent year to year increase).

The video, and website, form part of the Church of England's project to promote church weddings that has included roadshows and workshops for clergy in many parts of the country.

The Rt Revd Paul Bayes, Bishop of Hertford, explains in the video: "Now people move around the country a lot more, we've changed the law so you can get married not just in your local church, but also in a whole range of churches that are special for you."

The Revd Rosie Harper, vicar of Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, says: "Taking weddings is one of the most joyful parts of my job. And I don't mind whether people come to church often or not, whether they've been baptised or not, because it's everyone's church and so people can come and be welcomed and have a church wedding."

Rosie married Donna and Tod Bowsher, who also feature. Donna says: "The church family were really helpful making sure everything ran really smoothly… It's been said that there's love in the walls because it's so old and there's been so many weddings there, and you do absolutely feel that when you go in the church. So not only is it aesthetically a beautiful place, but it feels beautiful too." Two other couples share their memories of their church wedding.

Tamar Kasriel of Futureal, research adviser to the Archbishops' Council's Weddings Project, reveals: "The majority of the population in the UK… felt that a church wedding is somehow the proper place for a wedding."

Navin Motwani, e-communications officer at the Archbishops' Council, takes viewers through the useful website www.yourchurchwedding.org, introducing them to an online ceremony planner featuring hymns and Bible readings (now used to plan over a third of Church of England weddings), and helpful advice, such as the page Seven Steps to a Heavenly Wedding.

The five-minute Your Church Wedding video was produced with support from the Jerusalem Trust, and will remain online for the next 12 months.

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Regina Spektor - Us.